Wisconsin vs. Illinois Courtside Blog

1/10/2008

Brian Lucas (Assistant Director of Athletic Communications)

7:51 p.m. - Some days this job is tougher than others. Like when you sit next to super high-maintenance Erin Andrews (she's reading over my shoulder so you know it's all in fun). Hopefully, if you're watching at home, you'll catch a glimpse of us at the scorer's table. I'll be the one without the hair spray.

8:01 p.m. - I guess Chester Frazier is not starting tonight due to a rib strain (thanks to Erin for that scoop). Trent Meacham gets the start.

8:05 p.m. - Badgers win the tip (again) but don't capitalize. Randle with a long two but Hughes pops a three.8:11 p.m. - UW starts quick, 9-2, and Illinois calls a TO.

8:14 p.m. - Illinois with a miss coming out of the TO and J-Bo gets fouled on the rebound. TV timeout comes and the Badgers are up 9-2. Landry with a bucket inside to make it 11-2.

8:17 p.m. - We are having some clock problems here at the KC. Seems it was stuck on 14:33 for about 10 seconds of game time. They're trying to figure it out now.

8:19 p.m. - They took 15 seconds off the clock.

8:25 p.m. - TV timeout #2. Butch just hit a three, which is a welcome sight, and Joe followed it up with an inside bucket. Out of the TO, Illinois makes one of two free throws to make it 16-7.

8:30 p.m. - Illinois has gone zone the last two times down the court. The Badgers work it inside to Brian who draws the second foul on Randle.

8:32 p.m. - Meacham hits a fast-break three but Trevon drives the lane and draws a foul so he'll go to the line following the TV timeout. Badgers lead 18-14 with 7:22 left. Butch has seven points and four rebounds to lead everyone in both categories.

8:35 p.m. - I heard rumors of Jim Leonhard making an appearance tonight but haven't seen him yet. Michael Jordan, the father of Illinois walk-on Jeff Jordan, is not here.

8:43 p.m. - Trevon just scored the last six I believe to extend the Badgers' lead to 10, 28-18. Bruce Weber calls a timeout with 3:03 left.

8:45 p.m. - Stiemsma with a good post-up forces the second foul on Pruitt. And with it comes the last TV timeout of the half. At the TO, another great Kohl Center moment for the 10th anniversary. We flash back to the first game in Kohl Center, UW's win over Northwestern. Look for some more stuff on the 10th anniversary next week.

8:54 p.m. - With 17 seconds left, Bo calls his first TO of the half to set up a last shot. Illinois goes zone and J-Bo tries a three. No good so the halftime score is 31-25 Badgers.

9:11 p.m. - We start the second half with our first "Erin Andrews" chant of the night from the student section.

9:15 p.m. - We've added some photos (none of me and Erin though).

9:20 p.m. - Brian Butch has all six of the Badgers' points in the half and the lead is up to 37-29 with 15:00 left. He also just drew a foul posting up down low so the Badgers will have the ball.

9:23 p.m. - I didn't stay and watch but Erin said the dance team's routine at halftime was "awesome." She's a big fan.

9:24 p.m. - Speaking of awesome, what a block by Marcus as Randle was going up for a dunk. The ball got caught in the iron, resulting in a jump ball.

9:27 p.m. - Randle just got blocked again going to the hoop, this time by Stiemsma. Bohannon splpashes a three at the other end but Brock somehow gets a three to go with a funny hop off the rim.

9:30 p.m. - Illinois makes a little run but the Badgers answer with a Leuer dunk off a sweet look by Trevon. Pop nearly comes up with a steal but it turns into Pruitt getting fouled down low. Illinois will have the ball down 42-36 with 10:15 remaining.

9:31 p.m. - Joe and Michael have combined to play just 27 minutes because of foul trouble tonight. That's as many as Marcus has played so far.

9:36 p.m. - Chester Frazier goes under the high screen and Trevon steps back and drills a three. Score is 50-41 with 8:45 left as the Illini call a TO. Looks like Michael and Joe are coming back into the game.

9:39 p.m. - Flowers drops a
sweet around the back assist to Krabbenhoft on the fast break to make
it 52-43 with 7:27 left. On the other end, Flowers is called for
running through a screen, his fourth. Illinois ball after the TO.

9:43 p.m. - Marcus hits a three on one end then comes down on the other end and draws a charge on Randle. Illinois calls another TO as its 55-46 with 6:17 to play.

9:48 p.m. - Trevon has really played well tonight, 20 points, six steals, five assists and just two turnovers in 33 minutes. He's shooting 8-of-12. Butch also has 16 points and seven boards. 60-46, 3:26 left.

9:53 p.m. - Badgers making their third straight trip to the foul line for a one-and-one. Butch missed the front end of the first two. Krabbenhoft hits both.

9:56 p.m. - Couple missed shots by UW and Illinois comes up with butckets on their end to cut the lead to 62-54 with 1:40 left. Illinois calls another TO.

9:59 p.m. - Trevon hits two free throws then Joe comes up with a steal. Randle fouls him, his fifth of the game. Right now, he's "standing, standing, standing ... left, right, left" then he gave the fake sit down. Now he's getting another chant.

10:03 p.m. - Jeff Jordan is checking in. Let's see if the students realize who he is.

10:04 p.m. - Jordan just committed a foul. Not much of a reaction. Flowers hits two to make it a 12-point game. The Badgers will run the clock out. 70-60 win.

11:06 p.m. - Nice win tonight. Trevon got back on a roll like he was on in the beginning of the season and finished with 22 points, five assists and six steals with just two turnovers in 36 minutes of action. He finished the night with the first Erin Andrews interview of his career so it was a good night all around. Butch finished with 16 points and seven rebounds while Marcus had 11 points.

Every time Illinois got close, UW made a play and it was Trevon most of the times. He hit a three then set up J-Bo and Marcus for threes during one stretch in the second half. It was a good win especially considering Michael and Joe only combined to play 38 minutes. Like Mike Lucas said after the game in Bo's post-game interview, you may not notice some of the things Joe does when he's on the floor but you definitely notice when he's not on the floor.

After the game, the former Governor of Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson, was in the locker room. He talked to Bo for a while after Bo addressed the team and told him he was proud of everything he had done for the state. Bo responded along the lines of, shoot, what I did for the state is nothing compared to what you've done. The Governor then ducked his head into the players' area and thanked them for working so hard and giving Wisconsin a good name. One of those cool things that sometimes just happen.